April 01, (THEWILL) – Niger Republic is seeking Nigeria’s financial support in the establishment of another outfit similar to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), to combat the menace of banditry in the Northwest region of the country.
The Nigerien President, Mohammed Bazoum, made the request on Thursday, during his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Bazoum said, the MNJTF created for the North-East region had established relief within the region, adding that countries within the Sahel region would be delighted if Nigeria would support a replication of the outfit against bandits in the North-West.
According to Bazoum, Nigeria would be critical to the establishment of a Northwest security outfit, especially as it currently bears larger responsibility for the operations and funding support for the MNJTF operating from the Lake Chad Basin, noting that banditry had become a common problem for the people within the Sahel region.
Responding to questions from State House Correspondents after the meeting with President Buhari, Bazoum said Nigeria agreeing to the establishment of a multinational security outfit in the Northwest would reduce the economic and financial burden of supporting such task on other Sahel countries.
“Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), is a model initiated by countries that are facing the same kind of security challenges and we want to replicate this kind of model in countries of Sahel; Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and so on.
“Why? Because, this model has allowed us in the Lake Chad Basin to address a common threat. We are very much satisfied with the situation because it has allowed us to contain and we want to replicate same in other places.
“Evidently, if Nigeria accepts to do the same in the axis-northwest, to fight banditry, we would gladly accept because, as you know, Nigeria almost entirely funded the MNJTF operations and if Nigeria decides to do the same in the northwest axis, we will be very happy. That means, it will reduce the economic and financial burden of the fight against these insurgents.
“I must also commend the efforts of the governor of Zamfara state. Also, what happened recently in Kaduna indicates that there is an increase in the level of threats we are facing and which means that we have to design a new strategy to be able to address these threats”, he said.
Bazoum said he also discussed the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project with the President and its potential benefits to both countries.
“I’m happy to be here and have discussions with President Buhari on issues that relate to the economy and the security situation in our countries in a manner that we push these issues to be of mutual benefit to both countries; Niger and Nigeria.
“My visit coincides with the very big operation that is taking place jointly today in the Lake Chad Basin region against the terrorist and this big operation is being conducted by MNJTF – the Multinational Joint Task Force and as you will know very well the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force is funded almost entirely by Nigeria and this operation is meant to help in providing security from the challenges that both of our countries are facing.
“I want to reiterate my recommendation and thanks to President Buhari, who because of his support, this operation is going on and will be very much continued in future
“On economic issues, we discussed the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project and this project is an infrastructure that will integrate the economies, the economies of Nigeria and Niger. And so I’m here to thank President Buhari, for his effort at ensuring that this project has taken off and I hope that it will be sustained because this project will radically change the trading exchange between the two countries.
“We also spoke about the gas pipeline in the sense that gas and oil now have become an issue in world politics, in the world economy”, he said.
Meanwhile, Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has backed the call by President Bazoum, to change the strategy in the fight against insurgency.
He said: “Yea, as he mentioned, we have to change strategy, because like those of us that share border with Niger Republic, we have a joint task force between the Nigerian security and Nigerien security, which we have provided some logistics and cash for them in order to ease their operation. What we are doing is that if we have any information about bandits that are coming from Nigeria, then we will alert the Nigerien security to monitor and push them so that we can collectively fight these criminals. So this is what we are doing day at night in Zamfara and Niger Republic.”
Also, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, giving support for the proposal of the Nigerien President, said: “I think the most important thing that we need to do is to enhance the means of livelihood of the communities that are living in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of Nigeria. Because we need to address the underlying causes of the insurgency, which are not limited to increasing poverty, increasing infrastructure deficit and climate vulnerabilities.
“So far, so good, I think one of the most important thing that we should do to address the insurgency problem in the entire northern states, is to see how we can reduce poverty in the region.”
He noted that frequent engagements between Nigeria and Niger on security will benefit both countries.
Zulum said, “Well, I’m so glad, because you heard the president of Niger, he did mention about strengthening the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force. They are currently operating in the shores of the Lake Chad. That boils down to what I’ve been saying before.
“I had advocated several times on the use of the platform of the MNJTF to defeat the insurgents who are hovering on the shores of Lake Chad. That operation is now currently ongoing and I think such kind of operation is needed to ensure that the insurgents are defeated in shores of the Lake Chad.”
On the fresh calls kicking against rehabilitating repentant Boko Haram, following recent attack in Kaduna, the governor said: “I think those that are saying this are not aware of what is going on in Borno State.
“In Borno State, these people voluntarily surrendered by themselves. There is no provision, no law in the whole world which states that those that have voluntarily surrendered, should be killed. And because of this surrender, amongst others, the insurgency situation in Borno State has been reduced by about 80%. We also became resilient enough to fight them.
“The involvement of civilian JTF, community resilience, enhancing peace building, social cohesion and stability are some of the things that we need to do in order to reduce insurgency.”
On what can be done to end insurgency, Zulum, canvassed an enhanced means of livelihood for the people.
“I think the most important thing that we need to do is to enhance the means of livelihood of the communities that are living in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of Nigeria. Because we need to address the underlying causes of the insurgency, which are not limited to increasing poverty, increasing infrastructure deficit and climate vulnerabilities.
“So far, so good, I think one of the most important thing that we should do to address the insurgency problem in the entire northern states, is to see how we can reduce poverty in the region”, he said.
